Osnabrück!

10 shots

First, don't write German words on your hand... they won't fit.

Second, feet look great in every country

Third, the side of "the castle" on campus. I need to get a shot from the front.

Fourth, there was lovely piano music drifting out that window.

Fifth, another building on campus with a different style.

Sixth, this is still that building.

Seventh, the darkest most ominous building on campus. I feel like weapons should be made here.

Eighth, it's like RIT; it's under construction.

Ninth, but the architecture is better perhaps.

Tenth, and more tastefully colored.

A Mono-Class Society (in appearance)

Disclaimer up front is that my view of Germany has been very limited and there are probably large segments of society that I haven't seen yet.

Basically, my view here has been that everyone here seems to be in the same class. Talking to to people that's not entirely true. Generally people associate lower class folks with British names like (example given was Kevin). I have a few ideas why the class difference isn't so apparent.

1. Many of the minorities here are often still white Europeans and so to me they look German. It's possible that all the russian immigrants are poor for example but I just can't see it. The varying skin color in America makes it easier to quickly categorize groups of people and make assumptions at to what class they are in, regardless of how accurate it is.

2. It seems that everyone here has basically the same sense of style. Sure some people are more stylish than others but you don't have goth, emo, prep, hippie, lumberjack, as well as the style sets that tend to come with african americans. That means everyone looks the same still further. Once again it is harder to categorize groups of people by appearance.

3. Where do poor people live? Maybe they are all out in the country, or maybe just in the big cities? Anyways, I have seen no particularly rough, or rundown areas. Yes it's a small town (160,000) but it's definitely not like America.

So we should never stereotype people by appearance but I know in America we do it all the time. It's just peculiar here how much of a non issue it is. I'm taking a class called "Race and Equality in America." The prof and I are the only Americans. I think it will be difficult to convey to the class what America and racism is like because of what they are used to living in.

k later

Church Adventure part II

Today was church in Andreas Gemeinde. I believe it is a baptist church, although I admittedly have hardly any idea what that means both here in Germany and back in the states. I didn't understand much of the teaching but it was a good time to think and journal. We started with hymns with a piano, and then moved to a band and more contemporary although somewhat muted music. We did "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" in German, which I assume was the language it was written in though I'm not certain. Interestingly enough the latter half of each of the verses have less syllables and so they switch to a 3/4 time signature (like a waltz). There are a number of college students that attend there and every week they go back to an apartment for lunch, very reminiscent of the brunch at Ozzy's last year. It was a great time to connect with German students and they helped teach me German. I have one more church I'd like to visit next week before I pick a place.

Also today I finally went for a run along the river that passes through town (it's a pretty week river), but came across some beautiful spots where I'm looking forward to relaxing, reading, and picturing.

k later

Osnabrück in Fall

a seat along a path,

out of the way

view of what's here

life rolls by on wheels and on foot

gently, pleasantly

"I urge you brothers... to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands." -Thessalonians 4:11

Kein Fahrrad (no bike)

Bikes are all over the place. Huge lots full, packed to the limits with bikes. Bike lanes, bike traffic lights, everything for bikes. A bike here in Osnabrück is the perfect way to get anywhere fast. My roommate found one cheap. I almost followed suit, and then wondered,

"why do I need to get anywhere fast?"

Do you learn better fast? or observe better, see better, think better, pray better?

All that fast does it get things done, but I'm not actually here to get things done. I want to learn, observe, see, think, and pray. I will do that slowly. There are other things I could do better slowly but it's 2am and I can't think of them right now.

Photo Project I

Constants Here

Not New

Just a bigger part of my life Now

Ambassador

I never realized just how much representing one person can do until just the other night. People always say things like, "remember when in another country you represent the whole US, or RIT, or whatever." That seems ridiculous because you can't judge a culture based on one person from it. In our heads everyone knows that, but in practice we easily judge groups based on one individual. Example:

The other night my German roommates talked about the American who lived in my room last year. She was quite the party animal. Regularly out till 7am, at parties, and hosting parties here. Her wild 21st birthday party ended up with cake and footprints all over the wall, requiring a new paint job. She made life miserable for the rest of the people living here.

When my roommates heard that this semester they were getting another American, they all dreaded that they were in for round 2. They just knew one American and she was crazy, so they all must be crazy... It's the same representing Christ, or longboarders, or white people, or engineers. If you're the only person in a category that people know, then you have a huge influence over their perception of that group.

Be careful.

Represent well.